The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-06-10

The People Arriving ~ = DETERMINATION
that Governor Gors1on's evmpathetlc Ma
ture shall Not stand IL the way ~ the
Dus Execution nj Condcmned Murdcrcrs.
ATLANTA, Ga, June 3 There are fou.
delayed executions In Georgia which The
people propose 10 SEQ carried out even II
iynching has 70 DO resortcd TO- A.
already stated Ia a former dispatch ,. w.
Smith, VINO was 10 have been executed
last Friday, was rcspited by Governor
Gordon for three weeks. Several meet
ings were held and plans perfected Il
see that Smith pays tho penalty Of the
law. Tho following resolution was passed
at a meeting Tuesday.
h II Rfs0irsd BY the citizens OF Heard
County that we dsapprovc OF the action Of
Governor Gordon In respitng J. w. SMITH
We are aw-abiding citizens. ana pctitionel
him not % interfere with the judgment ana
sentence OF the court; but Safeguarding our
very humble petition. he. the Goyernof Of
Georgia. was controlled BY smiths attorneys
who from the beginning OF the ease
have practiced every kind OF inscriptions
tactics 10 delay and defeat Justice. and have
burdened Heard County with the debt of nearly
A.0D We condemn the action OF smiths al
torneys. not for defending him we'll. but for The
long delay In the execution OF tho law ami The
debt imposed on us. and In the last event f0i
trying 70 have undone what the people Of mi.
county and iuries say ought 10 be done 70 WIT
that J. w. Smith ought To be hanged.
II was oniy by strong appeals that the
meeting was dissuaded from lynching
Smith. Tho meeting then adopted the FOL
lowing:
We say 70 the people OF this county await
with patience till June II and do not resort Il
violence. Justice will yet be done.
The Commissioners OF the county then met
and passed the order: I'VE order the sheriff ~
the county TO safely keep j. w. Smith thu
twenty days respite ordered by the Governor.
and for him TO keep y sufficient guar. fof
Smiths safe-kecping, and NJ the expiration d
the respite OF twenty days he is ordered TO car
~ out the sentence OF the court"
Under this order body OF men known
TO be hostile TO Smith have been placed
over him, and the intention Is publicly
expressed that, regardless OF the Gov
crnor's wishes, when June II comes
Smith must be hanged. The fact that a
prisoner should thus be held by his duly
appointed lynchcrs is causing some com
mcnt, but no one dares to gansay the de-
cision, realizing that IL would be danger
Gus to do in the present temper Of the
people
II Is only two weeks since the sentence
Of Lcggett, the Tatnall County wlfe-mur
dercr, was set aside for thirty DAYS BY
Governor Gordon. Leggctrs counsel set
up the plea that their client was insane.
The sensational story OF his rescue by the
arrival Of his counsel just In time to save
him from the galows has already been
told
In Schicy County there is another pris-
oner whose trial and convection have al
most bankrupted the county. In lss5 some
assassin killed one OF Schley's most re-
spccied young men, s. J. Tondec, and sus-
picion and circumstantial evidences rested
on Charles Blackman. He was convicted.
but the enforcement OF his sentence j. as
far of as ever.
Governor Gordon is so sympathetic that
he can not resist petitions fioatcd by
tears The people in the communities
named have great bills Of the trials e
pay, and feeling that convictions amount
to naught have become desperate.